Neighbors: Buddy Baseball celebrates 20 years

Buddy Baseball offers a baseball program to children with disabilities. The program has successfully paired players with buddies who assist in all aspects of the game.
(Submitted photo)
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It was 20 years ago that our neighbor Pam Roberts, along with her son Thomas, approached the Greenfield Recreation Department with the idea of offering a baseball program to children with disabilities.

Christy Moore, the town’s recreation director, says she’s been told the department was eager to collaborate and Buddy Baseball was formed — the first of its kind in Franklin County.

“It’s now one of the longest running programs of its kind here,” says Christy.

The program has successfully paired players with buddies who assist in all aspects of the game.

Christy says the department is again looking for buddies, players and coaches for its 2014 season, which begins May 10 and runs through June 21. Buddies play each Saturday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Greenfield Middle School, and there is a picnic and awards ceremony at the end of the season, as well as a special game against the Belchertown Challenger League.

This is a great program, so anyone who would like to coach or assist a coach should call or email Pam at 413-625-2402 or pamro@aol.com. If you would like to play or be a buddy, call the Greenfield Recreation Department at 413-772-1553.

FRIENDS OF NEW SALEM PUBLIC LIBRARY will join the townwide tag sale on the Town Common on Saturday at 8 a.m. Friends will have used books, coffee from Dean’s Beans, and doughnuts, all available for purchase.

MONTAGUE CHURCH is having a roast pork supper Saturday 5:30 p.m. to benefit the church’s building fund. There will also be a Relay for Life food sale and raffle. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children 10 and under. Call for reservations and take-out orders at 413-367-2652.

TURNERS FALLS HOCKEY TEAM will host its 11th annual fundraising event, A Comedy ESP/Hypnosis Show with Bruce James, on Saturday in the French King Entertainment Center on Route 2 in Erving.

You must be 18 years or older. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with pasta stations provided by Myers Catering. The cost is $30 per person for the entire night. The show will being at 9 p.m.

FRANKLIN COUNTY COMMUNITY CHORUS will hold its first annual Spring Concert on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Blessed Sacrament Church, 221 Federal St. in Greenfield.

Admission is by donation. The concert will feature “Gloria” by Antonio Vivaldi, as well as a wonderful collection of choral gems.

DAYLILY GALLERY AND GREENFIELD SAVINGS BANK, both in South Deerfield, will host joint art exhibits of mother and daughter Jo-ann and Jessica Denehy this month. Stop into either place to see their artwork. There will be a reception on May 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Daylily at 8A Sugarloaf St, which is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The exhibits are free and open to the public.

SHAMBHALA CENTER AND TRINITY CHURCH will co-sponsor the showing of the film “Jesus & Buddha, Practicing Across Traditions” on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Trinity Church on Severance Street in Shelburne Falls. The film is an adventure through the places where Buddhist and Christian paths meet.

GREENFIELD COMMUNITY COLLEGE will host an information session on Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m. to provide details on two free training programs for job hunters interested in a career in manufacturing.

The session, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the downtown center at 270 Main St. in Greenfield (Room 120).

THE GIRLS CLUB OF GREENFIELD preschool classrooms will host a spaghetti supper on Thursday at Hallmark Institute of Photography on Industrial Boulevard in Turners Falls from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be a Chinese auction and a 50-50 raffle. The cost is $10 for adults. Children 5 and under are free.

To reserve a ticket, call 413-774-7407.

OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE QUABBIN AREA, Ruth Shaw of Orange and Clare Green of Warwick, recently put the finishing touches on an afghan, which will be sent to Afghans for Afghans, a service agency that sends clothing and blankets to remote areas of Afghanistan. The project was assembled using 5-inch squares knitted by numerous local people as a service project that began on Martin Luther King Day.

Nice work everyone involved!

THE GREENFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS FILM FESTIVAL was a big success this year.

About 500 people attended the gala event — a miniature version of the Academy Awards — at Greenfield High School and the 33 best short films, created by students in the school system, were shown.

One student, for instance, created a mini comedy about an uncomfortable job interview, while another took viewers dog sledding on the Greenfield High School French Club’s trip to Quebec.

A GREENFIELD COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT is a finalist in Smithsonian Magazine’s 11th annual Photo Contest. Abigail Friel’s photo of a young girl bottle feeding a lamb has been selected as one of 60 finalists from more than 50,000 photographs. Winners will be announced on May 15. Abigail, 36, is formerly from Hatfield.

THE MONTAGUE BOOKMILL and Green River Festival have been recognized by Yankee Magazine.

Yankee says the Montague Bookmill “will pique your interest with its catchphrase alone: ‘Books you don’t need in a place you can’t find.’” Yankee and its readers accept the challenge.

The annual music festival is listed in the magazine’s Special Travel Guide this year. The festival will be held July 11 through 13 on the Greenfield Community College main campus.

Congratulations to both!

To contact Anita Fritz, a staff reporter at The Recorder, send an email to: franklincountyneighbors@gmail.com or call 413-772-0261, ext. 280. You can also reach Anita on Facebook at Anita’s Neighbors. Information to be included in Neighbors may also be sent to: neighbors@recorder.com up to noon two days before you want it to run.